Telegram founder officially charged in France for alleged complicity in crimes on the platform

Telegram founder Pavel Durov was indicted by a French court on Wednesday for allegedly aiding and abetting multiple crimes on his platform.

Durov was first arrested at Paris airport on Saturday after his private jet landed in France from Azerbaijan. Durov, a billionaire, was born in Russia but has been in exile.

The Telegram founder will no longer be able to leave France under judicial supervision, but has posted a bail of five million euros, according to The Hill. He will also have to report to a police station twice a week.

Durov has been charged with six crimes, including complicity in the distribution of child pornography, gang-related charges, fraud and drug trafficking.

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform,” Telegram said in a statement. “Nearly a billion users around the world rely on Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information. We are looking forward to a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram stands with you all.”

If convicted, Durov faces up to 10 years in a French prison on the charge of “complicity in the management of a platform enabling an illegal transaction within an organized gang,” according to CNN.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can Follow her on X For greater coverage.